By Doris Schroeder
It’s about two and a half weeks now that we experienced both sugar and salt in our lives and it is fun to examine all the whys and wherefores of each one.
The sugar, of course, was tasted when we attended the wedding of our Mission pastor, Dr. Wayne Johnson’s daughter’s wedding. We had never been to the tall grass Country Club in Wichita and found ourselves having to do some searching off of 21st and Rock Road. We did some asking around and made a few extra turns until we twisted towards the Club House, located (you know where) in the tall grass and trees.
The wedding parlor was a lovely area for the occasion. Windows looked out onto the golfing greens and the dimly lit room lent a romantic atmosphere as we enjoyed lovely violin music in the background. Soon the mother of the bride and the groom’s parents were ushered in, followed by the wedding party, and last, of course, the bride and her father. The bride and groom’s parents surrounded the pair and they had a prayer by the parents and then Pastor Johnnie Pike talked and performed the ceremony. It was very lovely and well carried out. The pastor then announced they were married and the groom could kiss the bride. The groom started out very docile but then he gave it all he had and gave her a wonderful, romantic kiss, which we all enjoyed.
The audience being ushered out to the serving table, which was simple and delicious with sugary white cake (by Kathy Girst) and vanilla ice cream followed this. Tables had been set up for us to eat and visit around and the evening was almost complete. Later Wayne Johnson introduced the wedding party as they came through as couples, including the bride’s youngest sister Jackie and her brother CJ, who is really beginning to make his mark, working for Marco Rubio in the presidential Campaign.
As we wended our way back to Hutchinson in the dark of the night, John and I remembered some of our own sweet memories of days gone by. It is truly heartwarming to see a young couple starting out on the sea of life. Our own grandson Mike had married his lovely bride, Samantha this last June, and the world looks a little sweeter now.
It was hard to get up on Sunday morning but then we knew Pastor Johnnie Pike would be preaching and we made it. He gave a message that we know every Christian would like to hear because it describes the state of America at this time.
He brought out four major thoughts:
- You need to know how you are doing in the world today…spiritually.
- Where you are in your own spiritual life.
- What will be the cost to do what a Christian should do
- Who can God depend on to help?
The church has been told to be “the salt of the earth,” in the world but seems to have lost its saltiness. We are not to “just be pure but be purifiers.“ The church as a whole no longer shines out but has blended in with the things that are happening today: Even the Supreme Court has changed its views with unbiblical practices and the church, who is supposed to be the guide, has gone along with it, to some extent. We who are Christians know that purifications do not come from politics but from God. How do people learn except through the teaching of the Bible?
As we look back to the days we were just starting out on our matrimonial road many years ago, we would never have imagined the world becoming what it is today. Was it hard? You better believe it! We really had to work hard at anything we wanted to accomplish and we did it by “the sweat of our brow” and actually depended on the Lord for help. Because of that, any victory was hard earned and appreciated. God never let us down and helped us along when we really needed it and turned to him for help.
Has God let us down or have we become so “self-centered” we think we can do it on our own without His help! According to our Bible, “There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the ends thereof are the ways of death!”
Which way do we want to go…the path of least resistance or the path led by the only God who has all-power and.truly loves us and wants to help us. We can have both…sugar and salt, in the right amounts! Let’s think about it!
Doris welcomes your thoughts and can be reached at [email protected]
